Outlet-box.



N. MARSHALL;

OUTLET BOX.

APPLlOATION FILED o0'1'.s1,19oa.

n a a m/ WWII/11115111111511 NORMAN MARSHALL, or NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, nssrenon, BY MESNE insislerivcomrnnx, or nan'rronn, CONNECTICUT, a; conronA- UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE;

MENTS, T0 ARROW ELECTRIG TION OF CONNECTICUT.

OUTLET-BOX, p

To all'whom it may concern:

Be lt-kn'own that I, NORMA): Mxnsnanna citizen of the United States, residing at Newt-011,; in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,- have invented oer-- tain new and useful Improvements in Outlet-Boxesyand I dohereby declare the following to. be'a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the l11V11tlOl1,:SllCll as will. enable others skilled in the art to which it appertain's to make and use the same.

' The invention relates to pipe ends or outlet boxes such as are used 1n interiorconduit systems for electric wiring. ltha-s beencustomary to provide the walls of such outlet boxes OPlJl-PQ ends with-a number of c1rcu lar holes, and to close these holes by removable or knock-out plugs, any of which may be removed to enableith'e outlet box to be any-desired position with relation thereto.

connected with the pipes of the system in The devices employed for making the connection between the outlet box and the end of the pipes have usually involved the use of nuts or other screw threaded members lo'catedwithin the outlet box, and arranged -to either engage the end of a pipe extending through the hole in the box, or to themselves extend through the hole so as to engagea pipe or uni'on outside the box. 'These devices have been free to turn w1th1n the box,

' andin making the connection with the-end of a pipe ithasbeenfound difiicult or impracticable to secure a firm connection owin to the inaccessibility of the screw threaded device, and the difiiculty with which it is turned within the box in making connection creased the costof installations. V It is one of thebbjects of the present in- 1 'vention to provide pipe ends or out'let boxeswith devices whereby a firm and secure connection between pipes of the system and the box may be quickly'and conveniently made,

either in connecting a box to a fixed pipe, or

connecting a pipe to a fixed box.

To this end one feature of the invention consists in providing an outlet box wlth' a screw threaded connecting device located within the box, and providing means for Specification of Letters fatent.

preventing the turning of the device within the box. It is preferred to make the scour-3 circular holes in the wall of the box, andprovided with a head located within the,

v Patented Au 16, 19 10. v v Application filed flctober 31, 1908. Serial 'No. 460,495. 7 v

box, and so shaped that the nip le'is held 1 from turning by engagement with the interior of the'box; Viththis construct-ion the nipple may be firmly screwed into aunion on the end of a pipeby turning the outlet box in casethe pipe is fixed, or by I turningfthe pipe in. case the box is fixed,'iand without inconvenience or loss of time.

It is customary to provide out-let boxes with porcelain covers having holes formed therein, through whichtheconductors are led from the interior of the box. It isidesirable that there should be no openings through thecover except those. through which the conductors lead, and it-"has been customary to provide covers having difi'eiv' ent numbers-of holes, and in making an ins stallation to use the corerfo'r each outlet box having the desired number and location of holes. This necessitates the carrylng in stock of a large Variety-of covers,'and also frequently causes delays, in case'thedesired cover does not happen to be at hand;

[It is'a further object of the invention, to

providea cover for outlet boxes which may be used for different numbers and-differ,

en'tly located leading out conductors, thereby avoiding'the necessity for carrying a largevariety of covers in stock, and minimizing delays. k v e I To this end a further feature of'the invention consists in providing the porcelain cover of an outlet box with a plurality of 'conductor holes plugged with a cement" which may be broken or knocked out' without injury to the porcelain, andwhichj when removed leaves thc conductor hole in such shape that therejis no danger'of injury to the conductor leading-therethrough. -Wit-h this construction the cement maybe removed In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sec v' from any desiredhole, leaving the cover 'As shown in the drawings or pipe endconsists of a casing l drawn 'up tional View through the center of. an outlet box or pipe end,-a nd Fig. 2 is a transverse sectlonal view on line 2-2, Fig. 1. V p

' the 'outlet box from sheet metal. A number of circular holes are formed in the walls of the box, and are g'closed by lmock-out plugs 2, any of which-may be removedto enable a connection to be made between the box and the end of a pi e, in accordance with the position The means for making the connection be tween the. endfof a ipe and the outlet box comprisesa cylin rical nipple 3 screw threaded on its periphery, and of a size to fit loosely'in"the-holes'through the wall of --'the box,

The nipple is provided .upon its inner end with a polygonal head, the head in the; construction shown being rectangular. This head lies within the outlet box, and the holes through the wall of the "box are so :arranged, and the head of the nipple is of such a size that the interior of the box and the head form means for preventin the by its le within the box turning. of the nip he interior of the box.

engagement" with In connecting the box'to the end ofa fixed pipe 43'. for instance,'tl1enipple may screwed into' thef union 5a-t the .end of the pipe by grasping and turning "the box.

' This manner of screwing the nipple into the a I union enables the connection to be quickly.

made without inconvenience or'care upon the part of the workman; The nipple may be screwed=firmly into the union sothat a I applied in screwingup the nip firm and tight joint is made, since a wrench may be readily applied to the outlet .box, and as much force as required may be ple.- Inmakand a box 'ing connection between a pipe whichisv held in fixed position by reason of its connection to a fixed pipe, the nipple jma be firmly screwed into the union at the gen of the pipe by merely introducing it into; the unionand then. turning the pipe.

I Since'the nipple is held from turning in the The outlet box shown 1 outlet -box,-"aj firm and rigid connection can be quickly and conveniently made in this anner.

cover 6 of porcelain or other suitable insulajting material, and this cover is provided with a plurality ofconductor holes 7 there ',;being three of such holes in the cover shown.

f These outlet holes. are plugged with a *cefacturc of electrical fixtures.

is provided with in presence 'oftwo w1tnesses.,,.,

nient intho naturetx t sealing wa x such as is used in Covering inetaticparts in the 'manu- Th'e conductor holes are so shaped that when the plugs 8 of cement are molded or cast within theholes, both ends of the plfi'gs'will be of l'ar er diameter than' the intermediate part, an thus the'plug's will be firmly held in the conductor holes without danger of dropping out or of becoming accidentally removed.

In making an installatioma hole throu h the cover in the desired position,- or the sired number of holes in the cover, may be readily formed'by knocking the cement out of the desired hole or. holes. The cement isof such a character that it maybe removed removed leaves the surface of -the h ole smooth and unbroken, and in the. same'fcont had dition that it would be in if the ceme notbeen introduced therein. i g y a While I prefer to employ the specific construction shown and described in practicing the inventiomit will be understood that the construction and arrangement ,of the parts may be varied and modified without depart ing-from the broader features of the invention. I

Having explained the natiir'eand object without injury to theporcelain, and when of the invention, and specifically described one form of outlet box in which itmay be embodied, what I clai1n';is::

1. An outlet box provided with t wo walls which are substantially at right angles to each other, an aperture througlrone 'wall,

and a screw-threaded nipple [ex/tending through the'aperture and provided with a' head arranged to engage the interior ofthe other wall andto be held from turriing by said engagement, whatever the position of the n'pple in theaperture, substantially, as 1 .d'escribed. v-

2. An outlet box providedlwith two walls which are substantially at. right angles to;

each other, an aperturethrough on'e'wall, a

union and a connecting devicehaving screw]- threaded engagement with'theunion and" I held from turmng'by the-engagement-of its periphery with the other wall, whatever its position within the boxwith'relation to the union, substantially as described In testimony whereof Ifaiflix NORMANQMARS Witnesses:- -j' t Anm't -C. R IoHARosou,

' N. D. MOPHAIM: 

